 The national broadcasting company presents Joel McCrae in Tales of the Texas Rangers Tonight transcribed from Hollywood another authentic reenactment of a case from the files of the Texas Rangers Hills of the Texas Rangers starring Joel McCrae as Ranger Jayce Pearson Texas more than 260,000 square miles And 50 men who make up the most famous and oldest law enforcement body in North America Tales of the Texas Rangers come these stories based on fact only names dates and places are fictitious for obvious reasons The events themselves are a matter of record case for tonight pressure It is 11 p.m. A Saturday night in January 1933 Sheriff Russ Morton drives his car to the end of the well-lighted main street of lingwood, Texas and Turns onto a narrow wooden bridge that crosses the railroad yards and leads to the Negro quarter of town on the far side of the tracks In the car with the sheriff is his deputy Sam Billings Both men are uneasy Doesn't look like there's much doing across the tracks Sam. I don't get it sheriff I was over here less than an hour ago in cafes with packs of thick you couldn't stir him with a stick Who sent out the call for us? Pedro at the Cantina cafe. I didn't get half of what he said He sounds scared to death just kept yelling to come get old Lucifer out of his place Oh Lucifer Imagine him stirring up no trouble neither can I but Sam I I don't like the look of this There isn't a light shown in the whole quarter not even in shack or shanty I'd have been a knife and share odd knife might might make one place for doc, but not all of them Cantina's off left off the next street Nobody on the streets not even a dog in the prowl If old Lucifer is behind this he sure sent everybody running for cover now. How can an old man like Sheriff look Cantina ain't open either Guess Pedro got all Lucifer to leave without waiting for our help. Yeah, then closed up tighter in a drum Why I can't figure it What are we gonna do now? We're gonna find out what's wrong over here Keep your eyes peeled. I'm gonna comb these streets until we find a light or somebody's stirring Better reach over and back and get that shot guy, right? Never saw nothing like this before sure neither of I There's throw the spotlight on sheriff that doorway over there. That's old Lucifer. Yeah Stand right where you are Lucifer. Don't move Look at him sheriff something all over his shirt and his pants and his hands. Yeah, no need to look at him twice. It's blood What happened to you Lucifer? What's the matter over here? It's not doing mr. Sheriff all my doing ain't nobody to blame but me you got blood all over you And it doesn't look like it's your own Who are you fighting with somebody in Pedro's place try to jump you? No, sir I ain't had no trouble with nobody here had my trouble out to the farm where I work out of the farm Yes, sir. I just walked in the town a little while ago Trying to get up my nerve to turn myself in Chef I Killed mr. Redford. I shot him dead. What you kill your boss Mike Redford. Yes, I've done it just me We got Oregon and I shot him dead Wonder they know light on over here You can tell us the rest of it at the jail Lucifer right now you better get in my car fast before this news crosses the tracks Yes, we're in for trouble sheriff like Redford's been mighty popular around here Get in back Lucifer get down on the floor and stay there. Yes, sir I'm gonna drop you off on Main Street Sam round up the constable and a couple of other deputies get him to jail as fast as you can We may be able to keep this quiet until tomorrow if we can it'll give me a chance to get a few Texas Rangers in to give us a hand The news of Mike Redford's murder struck the town on the afternoon of the following day But by that time sheriff Morton had helped he was joined at the ling with jail by Texas Ranger Jase Pearson Here's Lucifer's confession if you want to see it Jase he made a full statement when he brought him in last night Pretty short statement. Yeah short and to the point Says he had it in for Redford for a long time made up his mind to settle it last night When up the house start to fight and shot him These are the clothes Lucifer was wearing blood all over them have the blood analyzed Yeah, the medical exam did it when the JP ordered an autopsy It matches Redford's blood type all right We ought to have a full autopsy report in an hour or so captain stinson ought to be here by then good I got my deputies posted around but extra hands will be a help in case of trouble town looks peaceful enough News hasn't been out long. We couldn't keep it quiet after the medical exam They had the body brought in the funeral home though. Why are you keeping Lucifer? Oh, that's him in the bunk in the cell back the end of the block there No other prisoners. I had them all moved up in the tank upstairs. Good idea The statement says Lucifer worked on the Redford farm all his life Yeah, well started there when Mike's grandfather owned the place and just stayed on Oh Lucifer must have gone crazy or something Jase. He's had a good home out there Then he turns and bites the hand that feeds that's happened before I know but Lucifer never gave you any trouble before this You said no no nothing unless you want to count a little row he got in the last summer didn't amount to much Oh, I wasn't oh Lucifer hit somebody with a shovel some wandering farmhand that worked out at Redford's for a few days Him and Lucifer cleaning out a pig pen it seems and this migratory start cussing Mike Redford Lucifer told him to shut up the guy wouldn't so Lucifer clipped him with a shovel That's the way the story come out when they brought Lucifer up before the judge Judge fined him $25 and Redford paid the fine form and took the old man home Sounds like Redford and old Lucifer were pretty close. Oh Redford always treated them square What you just told me doesn't fit in with this statement you got from Lucifer last night. What do you mean? Last summer he hit a migratory for cussing Redford. Yeah, look here On page two of this statement Lucifer says I had a grudge in for Mr. Redford ever since his pappy die and he come to be my boss eight years ago I didn't like him and I made up my mind. I'd kill him doesn't fit Does it if this statement were true Lucifer wouldn't have been up before a judge for defending Redford last summer Your horse out of the trailer and wanted him. Thanks Sam Sheriff Lucifer's grandson Chad's out in the hall I want to know if he can see the old man just for a minute, please, Mr. Chair. Well, I guess it won't hurt none. Come on Got a visitor for you Lucifer grandson Chad Please don't let me in. I don't want to see him. Don't want to see nobody grandpa We got to get your lawyer something I don't want nothing you go home. Don't talk to me You just have home and stay there make him go Make him go you know your goal that old man may be right Don't ever come here again Grandpa you got a mind Chad never mind you get out like you said and go home. Come on Sam you'd better drive him out of town. Let him cut across the field and through the hills to his place But see that he stays off the highway when you leave. Okay, sure Where does he live Chad up in the hills about four miles behind Redford I'd like to take a ride out to Redford's place. There is gonna be any trouble here. It won't come before dark sides I'd like to talk to Chad. I'm gonna catch Sam and ride with him. I'll see if I can stop him from a window Ranger's gonna ride out with you He's waiting Jayce There's a deputy guard in the place out there making sure nothing's touched until we get photographed. Good. Thanks Be going out there. Maybe there's no need for you being behind those bars either Lucifer. I'd like to make sure I Noticed a few peculiar marks on Chad's face in the sheriff's office and in the car I got a chance to see him close up They look like scratch marks in the edge of a dirty bandage showed beneath the frayed cuff of his shirt You took a full chance walking into town Chad people are mighty hot about Redford getting killed My grandpa wouldn't never kill him Wanted to know that best your grandpa. He says he did kill him came in with Redford's blood over him Yeah, an awful lot of Redford's blood judging by the clothes the sheriff is holding. Where were you last night Chad? I was home back in the hills anybody with you who can verify that I Said was anybody with you? No, I was alone. What do you mean alone? Ain't your wife there wasn't she with you? I wasn't at the shack. I was just around it doing what? Just walking around that's all is that how your face got scratched up walking around in the dark One of your eyes looks kind of puffy too like you got hit I got that chopping wood Piece of kindling flew up and hit me a piece of kindling hit you on the wrist too Pull that sleeve of your shirt up. I gotta cut that. That's all just a cut. How'd you get it? Come on Chad your place is only a mile up behind Redford's Were you on the Redford place at all yesterday? Sure, but not last night only in the afternoon. What were you doing there? I just went by to see my grandpa that's all about what to get to lend us some money you give it to you No, why not Chad? You've been mooching on old man for years. He never turns you down for anything Why didn't he give you the money because mr. Redford? He saw us talking and he come out the house He told grandpa not to give me he says no counter. I'd be earning my own and not buying from old man Mr. Redford he ain't never liked me told me to get off the place I didn't want no trouble so I got and you just walked around on the hills near your house without going inside where your wife could see I don't like the smell of that story Chad. Maybe you never left Redford's place. I did. I'll tell you Honest mr. Sam mr. Ranger my wife can tell you that I did go home last night For a minute. I left the house because me and my wife had a fight. Hmm. Nothing new about that She got mad when I didn't bring no money back. We went round and round and she threw something at me and I Hated and she scratched me up and cut my arm with a bread knife. That's when I run out You didn't go back to Redford's after that. No, sir. I swear. I never did go back Hey, here's the best place for you to get out chad Got anything else you want to ask me jace? No All right chad you can go. Yes, thank you. Thank you very much I'm just wondering if the old man couldn't be covering up for him. You think he was lying about that fight with his wife could be Oh his women does have a temper. They had it out hot and heavy before How does he make a living back in the hill? Yeah, they don't they live in an abandoned shack up there He couldn't pay rent no place and he ain't worth his salt When he first got married he tried to move his woman and himself into lucifer's place, but redford wouldn't have it. No, how If anybody was toting a grudge against redford, I'd bet on chad not old lucifer It's a since somebody was toting one or redford wouldn't be dead Old lucifer's actions hadn't fit into the usual crime pattern and when we got to the redford house the pattern became even more jumbled Except for the body having been moved everything was left as the sheriff had found it The body was laying right here jace. You can see the stain on the rug. Yeah Furniture knocked around must have been quite a fight A broken bottle over here. Yeah, a sheriff figured that's what finally knocked redford out Then he got shot while he was out cold made the sheriff so sure of that well the body Bullet fired right into the head from close up burns on the face And no blood around except that at one spot on the floor And those Handprints lucifer left on the furniture and the wallpaper and his hand prints are what bother me most why If lucifer shot redford, why didn't he just back off and get out of here? How'd he get blood all over him and why'd he smear it all over everything like a kid with a 10 cent tuba red paint? Yeah See what you mean does seem like it was kind of deliberate You think an old man like lucifer could erect half this room fighting a younger man like redford Ranger, I guess the sheriff from me didn't think of a lot of things. Not your point in the mountain It's not your fault. You thought you had a clear case and a confession that makes it easy to overlook things Young fellow like chad might have put up quite a fight with redford. What about the gun redford was killed with Well, we haven't got it lucifer said he threw it into some bushes on the way into town Couldn't tell us where Weapon might have been a 32 or 38 autopsy will tell us when we get to slug. All right, let's get back to town If the old man is covering up for his grandson, how are we gonna break him down if he keeps on wait a minute same Look at this on the cupboard What? Two whiskey glasses. Yeah, and both of them full Ring on the wood here shows where the bottle was standing Looks like redford poured two drinks one for himself and one for somebody else But they didn't get to drink them fight probably started before they got a chance to bend elbows We know the bottle is used to knock redford out Hey, that kicks a hole in what we've been thinking a big hole Who was redford drinking with it's a cinch. It wasn't chad redford ordered him off the place An old man's confession must be on the level. No, it isn't sam because it's not likely redford would have been having lucifer in for a drink either There was somebody else here Somebody who either killed redford or saw who did You are listening to tales of the texas rangers starring joel mccray as ranger jace pierce We continue now with tonight's case pressure an authentic story from the files of the texas rangers Sam and i headed back for town the streets were crowded but quiet the way they should be on a sunday afternoon But there was attention we could feel we made one stop at the funeral parlor for a look at redford's body Medical examiner was just finishing Now you can see like I said the bullet was fired from close up. Yeah What'd you find doc? Well, he'd been struck on the head with blunt object and shot through the brain at close range I had the bullet here. You want that of course, please Hey, uh, thanks 32 20 caliber I'd give a lot to get my hands on the gun this came out of lucifer said he ditched the gun lucifer said a lot of things And slugs flattened out plenty unusually so I notice that There's something else to notice too on the body the burned area around the wound Oh, what about it ought to be some powder grains buried in the flesh, but there aren't none that I can see None that I can see either How about that doc? No, no, it is an unusual wound When lucifer told you he threw the gun away. Did he mention what kind of a gun sam? No, why because this may give us a chance to trip him up This bullet didn't come from a small weapon It came from a 32 20 caliber rifle How can you tell that without a ballistic check? For one thing the way the slugs flattened out rifle has a couple of hundred pounds greater impact than a sidearm And plowing through a skull and flattened plenty. Yeah, but there's another thing about a close range rifle shot It leaves a burn, but no powder grains in the skin or a revolver leave powder grains every time That makes sense doc. Yes, it does with a revolver the explosion of the part on the shell is only a couple inches away from a point blank target But with a rifle well As lent to the barrel, you know Yeah Is my report if you're headed for the sheriff's office to drop it off for you so long so long doc. Goodbye I'm learning a lot as we go along here James There's still something we both got to learn who killed mike redford There were a couple of ranger cars outside the jail when we got there Men from my company were standing casually at points along the street They weren't as casual as they looked Jail was carefully circled and they commanded all approaches captain stinson was inside with the sheriff Grace Sheriff tells me you're not satisfied with lucifer's confession. That's right captain How about bringing lucifer out here for a minute sheriff? Here a thing Things are going to start blowing around here after sundown jace I know I felt it all the way through town All it needs is some hothead to start it off. Well if it starts we'll stop it Well, maybe there won't be no trouble. The town's pretty crowded sam with a lot of cars coming in Yeah, the town's always crowded on sunday to not ganging up any place that can come later But there's one sign of trouble you can't ignore Take a look out that window There's not a woman in sight all the way down main street. The men are coming in alone. Here he is jays. Thanks sheriff lucifer You said you killed redford and then threw the gun away That's the honest truth mr. Ranger. Where'd you throw it? I don't remember, sir Was it a gun like this one in my holster? Well, was it maybe guns look all the same to me Was it about the size of this one all guns is about that size, sir not all guns lucifer You're not telling me the truth because redford wasn't killed with this kind of a gun He was killed with a rifle. You're covering up for chad. No, sir. No, sir. Chad had nothing to do with it It was me just me listen to me lucifer You think chad killed redford, but I don't if you want to help him open up and tell the truth Chad couldn't have done it. He left the place when mr. Redford run him off honest I see him leave then what happened I went to my house and after it got dark there was a shot a gunshot It came mr. Redford's house. I left my place run over to see if anything was wrong and Redford was dead when you found him And how did he get blood all over him jace? You tell your sheriff go on lucifer I left him a little to hold his head in my lap I beg him to talk to me to say something to old lucifer I know him since he was a little boy watched him grow But when you found him there you thought chad would sneak back to kill him I didn't know what to think. Why should you cover up for no good like chad? He's my own flesh. Yeah blood is thicker than water How do you know chad isn't the killer jace? Two four whiskey glasses indicated that redford was drinking with a man who killed him And he wouldn't be drinking of the chad sheriff. It ain't that Come in Howdy sheriff All right What's on your mind flam. Oh some of the men have been talking around town sheriff They sort of appointed me to come up and see you. Well, you just been to the funeral home to see mike redford What's left of him? Mike was my neighbor and pretty good friend too That would you come to tell me flam? Oh, not exactly Looks like you're expecting some trouble and some of us thought we'd like to volunteer to help you We could take over the guard trick on jail for tonight. So you and the rangers can get some rest You can go back and tell the boys we're not tired flam And while you're at it tell them lucifer didn't kill redford words around that lucifer confessed ranger It wasn't a mistake. Mr. Flam what I said wasn't true. Well, fine Then you don't have to stay here lucifer. Why don't you go home back to redford's farm? He's staying here. Why if he got nothing to hold him on? Protective custody and that means just what it says flam. He'll be protected You can go now All right, sheriff Just a minute mr. Flam Yeah, captain If you should see any men around who look like they're fixin to start some trouble Do us a favor and do them a favor too Tell them to go home Sure captain. I'll tell them Sam lock lucifer up again. Will you sure? Come on lucifer. Yes, sir Flam looks like he may be the man who'll spark that crowd. Yeah Flam and redford were mighty close sheriff We've got to move lucifer out of the county for safekeeping If flam gets a mob stirred up at night anything can happen and a few people are liable to get killed He's safer in here than it'd be if we took him outside not if they fire this building We'll move him right after sundown. How where seems to me the best place would be some small town lock-up across the county line Or nobody'd know him and nobody'd think of looking for him. That's what I hid in mind Sam here captain get jayce's horse charcoal out of his trailer Pick up two more horses and take them all to the field south of town Hover them and stash the saddles away under cover so you'll know where they are later Okay, after you leave them on the way back you can drop the word that we're moving lucifer out of here tonight You mean you want the whole town to know it? They won't know as much as they'll think they know sheriff After dark you and I can make a run in my car. They'll figure we're moving lucifer and they'll all make a run to block us Meanwhile, jayce and sam can slip him out the back and make for the horses in the field After that jayce, it's up to you. It's 11 miles cross country to hills crossing. There's a lock up there See that nobody stops you from getting him to it We waited until dark without turning on a light in the building and captain stinson the sheriff took one of the Deputies covered with a blanket and made a run to the captain's car Sam and I took lucifer out the back They ran across the field where the horses had been left and began to saddle them Listen Sounds like the sheriff and your captain have hit trouble jayce Probably somebody tried to block the road and kept scaring them off. Hurry with that last yeah ready to go jayce After I take this one hobble off good Come on lucifer. I'll give you a boost. Yes, sir Here's charcoal jayce ready to run. Thanks steady boy You set sam as soon as it gets mounted No more shooting no captain discourages them quick. Yeah, but by now that crowd may know they ain't got lucifer in the car Too late to do them any good. This is gonna be a rough ride for you lucifer. Let us know if you want to slow up or stop I'll be all right. Good. Let's ride up charcoal. Get up boy. Come on. Just hang on the horn lucifer. Yes, sir When we got to hills crossing the town was dark and sleeping except for a couple of rangers Who've been sent down to take over guarding lucifer once he was safe under lock and key sam and I started the ride back to lingua Hey, you're cutting the wrong way jayce. We should turn down that valley to lingua I know it. We're not heading back for town yet. I want to make one more stop Where back to redford farm again That's not much out of the way Getting lucifer safe was only part of the job. We still got to find out who killed redford That means we got to find out who was drinking with him If there was anybody lucifer said redford didn't have any visitors yesterday He said he didn't see any visitor that doesn't prove anything He'd have been sure to see a car if wanted driven in his shacks near the farm road Even if he'd been inside he'd have heard it. Maybe the visitor didn't use the road Might have come in on foot or mounted from another side of the farmhouse. I guess that could be all right Probably put his horse in the barn or the back corral That would keep lucifer from knowing anybody was in the house There's a whole wagon road the other side of that grove of trees were coming to We'll have easier riding once we get over there. Hold it sam. Oh, whoa, charkey. Oh boy Hey, what's the Listen pounds and they're on trail. Look over there in the hill. Hey something's on fire Jason's right up behind redford's place. Isn't that where lucifer's grandson chad lives? Yeah What are you supposed to go on up there? Somebody wants some blood? They didn't get it from lucifer So they're running down his family. Come on up char. Oh boy That shack is really flaming jason. They trapped him in there. He's had it They haven't got him yet. Those dogs are still after something keep going We raked our horses all the way We'd been about a mile off when the blaze started when we reached the shack It was a flaming heap on the ground. We saw a woman staring at it in a daze She must have been chad's wife. She wasn't harmed. So we took off after the sound of the dogs Listen to that chase. They got chad treated. It wouldn't sound off like that. They're just through this thinking All right, you and whoever's with you Oh boy Nobody's gonna kill you chad You men grab your hounds and shut them up. You're all under arrest and that includes you flam What far we were just doing a little night hunting the dogs trade chad here by mistake The dogs didn't set fire to his shack and arson's a crime look ranger. He killed my neighbor Why just switch to him because you couldn't get your hands on old lucifer They were in it together redford ordered chad off of place yesterday. Did you tell him that chad? No, sir. I didn't tell nobody but you and you didn't get it from lucifer flam because you never got near him So how do you know? Who told you redford chewed him out? Nobody had to tell me I was visiting redford at the house. He saw chad on a place and went out and ordered him off But after I left him or the old man sneaked in and killed mike throw that rifle over here flam Why never mind why just throw it over and be careful how you throw it We're willing to leave here peaceful Just a hunting weapon a 32 20 hunting weapon Just like the one that killed mike redford For the last time flam throw it over come and get it Hands off those guns the rest of you That's better Now gather in and pick up your pal flam. You followed him out here. You can tow them back. You hit me. I'm hurt bad There you just winged It's a better break and you gave redford when you killed him. It was self-defense. I killed him in self-defense Sure while he was knocked out after you hit him with that whiskey bottle Should have finished your drink flam You'll never see another glass of whiskey as expensive as that one Jack flam confessed to the murder of mike redford his statement disclosed that the killing had been the result of an Argument over ownership of a strip of land between his farm and redford's Flam was sentenced to life imprisonment Four other men convicted of armed participation in the attempted lynching of old lucifer and his grandson chad Were given prescribed terms in the county jail And now here again is the star of our show joel mccray There are thousands of people living today who have survived only because of the red cross These people will never have to be reminded of its great service to humanity But this year the red cross drive has fallen short of its needed goal So give to the red cross won't you and invest in humanity Good night folks Joel mccray is currently seen starring in the universal international technicolor production frenchie Tonight's cast included phony barrett will write herb figren urney whitman roi glenn bill conrad and byron came This story was transcribed and adapted by joel mercott and the program was produced and directed by stacey keats This is how give me speaking Three times mean good times on nbc Coming up next on nbc. 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